Rock Challenge : SEASCAPE

"Creative people, however, need to be stimulated,

inspired, nudged, cross-pollinated, and occasionally

kicked in the ass. Art both entertains and inspires

at the same time."

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!

"Seascape" watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm watercolour paper - Maree

Taking your time with a painting can be highly rewarding. As I worked on this seascape, I stepped out of the room frequently and often got up to have a drink of water or make myself a cup of coffee. Returning to the painting gives you a fresh perspective and a new way of looking at it. I did this painting over the weekend, leaving it half finished on Saturday afternoon to visit some friends, finishing it off on Sunday afternoon after lunch.

Jeanette of Illustrated Life has a rock challenge starting up running until the 4th August 2009. This is one of my entries.

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Falcons

"The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself."

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!

"Falcons" in Moleskine Sketch-book - Maree©

Published on 'SkineArt'

As the pages on the right-hand side of my sketch-book started filling up, I've resorted to the left-hand side, and as I was sketching this Falcon last night, I noticed the detail on the right was done exactly a year ago.

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A Sketch-a-Day

"Country Creek" watercolour - Maree©

I've decided to start doing a daily sketch and painting exercise again, which is something I used to do but due to, dare I say it, life that happens! I fell out of the habit. Daily sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!

I did this watercolour on Bockingford acid-free, 72lb (150g/m²) watercolour paper as part of my quest to try and do a painting or sketch-a-day.

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Along the Oxford Canal 1989

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm
An old bridge over a stream in Oxfordshire, UK

Way back in 1989 I undertook a trip to England to visit my parents-in-law and on one of our trips to Oxfordshire (the old people dragged me all over the country, proudly showing off all the wonderful sites!), I painted this quiet scene while we had a picnic lunch next to the Oxford Canal.

A 1989 landscape

Watercolour in a 200gsm sketchbook

After I got married in 1970, not much art was happening in my life. Newly married, a baby to tend to and a house we were building seemed to take up all of my precious time. I did do the odd sketch here and there, but in the late 80's, after my daughter had flown the coop, I sort of got back into painting again, often taking my sketchbook with me on one of my weekly walks and just taking in the scene around me. This one was done at a dam not far from our property.